


Blissed & Blessed

by amaltheametalweld



Category: Far Cry 5
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, F/M, Implied/Referenced Brainwashing, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Torture, No Incest, Polyamory, Polyseed (Far Cry), Pregnancy, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-02-27 11:00:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18737692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amaltheametalweld/pseuds/amaltheametalweld
Summary: Mallory has gotten in over her head with the Seed boys, and left the Project in fear for her life. Straying into the Bliss brings her back home to them. That's pretty much where the story starts. I have no idea where it's headed as it's mostly something I started writing on my phone to help me when I couldn't sleep. The story now features my Deputy, Liam Daniels, as well as some of the guns for hire!!!





	1. Chapter 1

Seeing stars and spots is the first sign you've strayed too close to the Bliss fields. Then your vision begins to blur and you start to see things, impossible things. Like right now Mallory was staring into the eyes of Faith Seed, listening to her silky voice. Only Faith was dead, and Mal was having trouble paying attention to what she was saying instead focused on the butterflies scattering in the strange and unusually hot gust of wth

Faith touched her arm pointed to the eerie cloud rising in the distance snapping her out of her mindless reverie. The Collapse, Joseph's sermons, John's warnings about what will happen to unrepentant sinners, it all came into an uncomfortable focus looking at the base of that cloud racing towards her.

The searing heat burned everything before the wall of ash covered it, she watched as the flames spread and the trees and buildings exploded and fell in a wave too fast for her eyes to follow. Before she could react it was on her and everything went black.

\---

Mal sat up too fast, her heart still racing and she promptly threw up.

"You're lucky I sent my hunters to retrieve you. The Bliss can be nasty at those levels." She looked up from the floor to the belt buckle of the youngest herald and closed her eyes again. She kept them closed as John softly ran his fingers through her hair and she unconsciously rested her forehead against his stomach trying to fight off the dizziness and the ache in her head.

"I wouldn't have ended up in the Bliss if they hadn't been hunting me," her voice didn't quite hold as much venom as she intended - instead coming out a lot more slurred and whiny.

"Don't remind me." His grip on her hair tightened momentarily, but he quickly soothed himself, "the Father and I have missed you, and we're ready to forgive you provided you behave." He tilted her head up to meet her eyes to emphasize the final word.

"And atone." John didn't like the sarcasm she was managing even with the slur.

"Yes that little sticking point is why you bolted on me isn't it?"

"Well it's a good thing I did since torture isn't really healthy for the littlest Seed here."

"Say that again." John dropped down to her eye level, and she could swear he was holding his breath. If she had been fully in control of her mind, it would have given her pause, but the Bliss was making her chatty and probably a little too blunt.

"I'm pregnant John, and God knows what this flower power is doing to our kid. I mean I feel like I got hit by a bus." She raised a hand to the worst spot right behind her left eye finding it heavier than usual. So she didn't see the moment when John grabbed her shoulders as his temper spilled over.

"You're pregnant, and you've been traipsing around a war zone like you own the goddamned place?!" The Baptist again tried to control his wrath thinking of his child, releasing his grip, and sliding his hands down the sides of her loose fitting flannel to feel the distinctive swell in her body.

"It wasn't exactly my idea! I had a good place all set up in a bunker safe as can be, and close enough to the clinic I wouldn't have to worry. But you and Dep decided to have a pissing contest in my backyard so I got nervous and left." John had just about had enough of that meddling man-child ruining everything he touched and taking what didn't belong to him.

"Dep? That sounds awfully familiar. You know I believe you're friends with that -" Mal ended his sentence before he could explain his thoughts on the Junior Deputy.

"Yeah, and the supplies you took were meant for me and the baby!" John suddenly remembered a truck he had assumed was going to the Rye's based on all the infant things. At the time he had been so pleased to get a victory however small over both them and the Deputy. "Liam has been my friend longer than I've even known you. He and Sharky have done everything they can to help me out."

John stifled his anger at the idea of Boshaw and the Deputy helping raise his child. "If you just asked I would have given you anything you needed, anything you wanted even."

"Well I need out of this fucking room, how about that?" Her words and her head were getting clearer with all the adrenaline she'd worked up arguing with John.

"Fine, because I'm taking you straight to a doctor." He picked her up not trusting her to walk, and despite her anger she didn't protest. Once outside the door, she knew exactly where he had her taken to and decided to keep her mouth shut until they got where they were going. It seemed she had traded her cozy little bunker for his dark and spacious one. Even through the haze left on her mind she knew to stay out of the path of the demon John became down here.

He brought her to the hospital the project had set up just a few corridors away from where she had woken up. They passed by rows of beds with injured and sick Peggies in various stages of healing, finally stopping in a smaller private room where he set her down on the exam table before walking out and closing the door behind him.

Mallory picked at the paper covering the table nervously, acutely aware of the loud rustling it made every time she moved. She hated waiting at the doctor's office, but she had never felt this unnerved by the quiet and the gleam of stainless steel everywhere. The doctor surprisingly entered alone and introduced herself as simply Gina handing Mal a clipboard.

"Alright it will save a lot of time if you go ahead and fill this out for me while I get the ultrasound set up." She set about pulling the machine beside the bed and plugging in the appropriate wires as Mal checked off boxes. "The Herald has insisted that I run ever test known to man on you, but I think we'll start with this."

"It's either his or the Father's baby so you'd better run every test you've got." Gina's eyebrows shot up. " I don't know if the Herald mentioned it, but I just woke up from the worst Bliss trip."

"How much do you think you took?" the concern in her voice was as much for her own safety if she got this wrong as it was for the patient in front of her. Mal thought she could almost see more gray forming in the older woman's hair, but that could just be a trick of the Bliss.

"I tried to cut across a field of it and passed out before I got to the other side. I woke up here so…" she shrugged her shoulders and went back to answering the last few questions on her forms. She clicked the pen closed and handed the papers back nervously.

After looking the papers over and taking a few notes she asked Mal to lie back and extended the small panel on one side to lengthen the table for her feet. The doctor had just had Mal lift up her shirt when both Joseph and John burst into the room nearly causing Gina to drop the bottle of gel she was to apply before starting the exam.

"Hey Joe." It was strangely hard for her to get angry with the Father. There was a presence that he carried with him that always made her feel calmer. John gave her rage more to work off of. Today must have been a formal sermon because Joseph was fully dressed in one of his high collared shirts and an embroidered jacket.

Hello my darling," he said placing a kiss on her cheek acting as though it hadn't been months since they'd last met. His hands went for her swollen belly, his eyes glued to it as though he could see the child within. "Is the baby alright Dr. Todd?" He he glanced up at her and back to the bump in front of him.

"We we're just about to check, Father. The ultrasound should answer a lot of the immediate questions."

"Of course," he stood back and held out his hand gesturing for John to stand beside him. John took the offered hand and the two men looked at each other and smiled before turning their attention to Mal once more.

For her part Mallory focused more on the woman who was going to give her all the answers about what was happening inside her. She knew she was pregnant having peed on seven different tests over the past four months but the uncertainty of living in a drug infused war zone did wake her in the middle of the night filled with fears about the health of her child. So despite how she got here, honestly she was relieved to be in the hands of an actual physician.

Dr. Gina Todd on the other hand was trying her best to ignore her nerves and the awkwardness of having the two possible fathers of her tiny patient also being her bosses/religious leaders. She started the exam and tried to keep things professional looking at her monitor and smiling at this mother who was still strung out on Bliss enough for the halo of green around her irises to be visible. When the wand passed over the uterus, she wanted to cry. There were two fetuses perfect as could be. Their heartbeats were a little elevated, but not badly enough to make her worry. She took her time looking them over and sighed with joy. "They're beautiful, healthy twins. Do you want to know the sex?"

"Yes!" All three answered, eliciting a giggle from Mal which quickly turned to laughter after she met John's eyes. He smirked back and kissed her in the joy of the moment. The Father smiled and nodded at the doctor to continue.

"Well this one here as you can see is a little boy." She indicated to the screen and zoomed in to give the parents a better view. Moving the wand to the right side of Mallory's abdomen, "and you can see this one is a girl." she similarly zoomed in to show them detail shots of their daughter.

John was crying the minute the doctor started talking. Joseph was fine until she said the second one was a girl at which point he practically collapsed to his knees thanking God in tears as he stared at her. Mal was enraptured by the pictures smiling and trying to memorize every detail.

"Can we record this? Or print pictures or something?" she wanted to save this memory forever. This idea seemed to jerk John right out of his tears.

"I should have thought of that! Is it too late?" He sounded almost manic as he headed towards the doctor. The Father paused his prayers momentarily at the edge in John's voice.

"No, no it's fine! It should be no problem to do either or both if you like." She managed to get out before his firm grip caused too much bruising to her upper arms.

"Wonderful!" He let go and turned his back on her, "what would we ever do without you, dove?" Joseph stood and began praying again.

Dr. Todd, it seemed, was having a lot of close calls with John's obsessions today and pulling through by the skin of her teeth. She was beginning to see why the Herald's lady might have risked the fields to avoid him. As she got a good enough look at his handiwork elsewhere in the bunker on her daily rounds, meeting the man in person was an altogether more frightening experience knowing what he was capable of doing. She did some prayers of her own as she readied herself to perform a few more tests.

The rest of the visit was thankfully mundane. A full physical with blood and urine tests held none of the emotional pitfalls as the three parent ultrasound had. Though any mention of a paternity test made no headway with the Father. The idea of either man not being the father of at least one of the children would cause turbulence within the family and they all needed to be focused on the Collapse. The brothers could be patient for the rest of the results, and she did want to run more tests the next week to be sure all the Bliss was out of Mal's system. She sent them off with prenatal vitamins, recommendations for bed rest, and a flash drive with the images and videos that John practically snatched from her with glee. Joseph pushed her down the hallway in a wheelchair towards the living quarters.

"Joseph, can I come stay with you?" As charming as John could be Mal was not looking forward to staying the night here. "I miss being above ground, and I'm still freaked out over the things I saw in the Bliss. There's so much screaming and blood here. I'd rather go to the compound with you." She was still a little more talkative than usual. The words were coming out more enunciated, but the whining tone definitely remained.

"Do you mean you were in a bunker all this time?" the Father asked.

"Yeah, John didn't tell you?" They stopped walking as Joseph looked at his younger brother waiting for the story but Mal continued "I made it all nice and got it all ready for the baby - well babies, but I didn't know that at the time. It would totally still have worked. Basically I started nesting and I had power tools, so it's like HGTV nice, way better than here."

John interrupted, "Whoa, power tools, in your condition? And there is no way it was nicer than what I can provide here."

"I have fairy lights and and fancy lanterns in my living room. Most of my furniture is handmade from recycled wood. It's magical!"

"She's clearly still being affected by the Bliss and she's upset because the Deputy and I got into it too close to her pet project."

"Do you want to tell this story? I was trying to give you a break here, but yeah you're right, let's skip ahead to the part where you shot a hole, in my front door, with your plane, while stealing supplies, that were meant for our children!" The charges she was leveling at John sounded a little less serious in the singsong voice she was using, but Joseph stepped closer to John clearly disappointed in where this was heading.

"I did WHAT?! You didn't mention that part earlier!" He looked helplessly between the two of them.  
"Look, I stole the supplies, it's my job. I didn't- there's no way I could have known she was there. I didn't even see a bunker." He tried to keep his voice level. It almost worked, but Joe could hear the underlying frustration.

"I figured it was an accident so I didn't bring it up. But you just can't stand it that I'm proud of something I built because nobody can be better than you! Well I did a good job and you don't get to tell me that what I made isn't good enough. You haven't even seen it!" at this point in her rollercoaster comedown from the Bliss the only thing left to do was cry. And that's exactly what happened.

"Alright," the Father knelt down in front of her, "you're both coming home with me," he pulled out his pocket square and started drying her eyes "and we're going to work this out as a family." He looked up over her shoulder, "John, tomorrow morning I want you to go out and either replace or repair the door you ruined." He held up his hand to stop John from replying. "I don't want to hear another word from either one of you until we get home. It's been an emotional day for all of us, and now it is time for us to eat, rest, and most importantly forgive one another in what should be a time of joy." He managed to get them all in an SUV without incident.

 

Mal layed her head in John's lap as she curled up in the back seat. He put an arm around her and pulled her body closer to him mentally kicking himself for getting into a fight with a drugged up pregnant woman. She just knew how to push all his buttons. He'd been so worried and as soon as he found her all that pent up fear came out as anger. Especially since it seemed the only threat to her had been him. That's why she left. Even if they were Joseph's orders, she was afraid of what he would do to her. Would their kids even be alive if he had made her atone? John was eaten up with guilt the more he sat in silence.

She made a half-hearted attempt to roll over to her other side when they reached a stop sign, only managing to end up on her back looking up at him. She gave a soft laugh when he met her eyes. She checked quickly to see Joseph couldn't see her. *I'm sorry* she mouthed and just like that his doubts lifted. He bent down and kissed her.

"Me too, dove, me too." he whispered feeling freer than he expected just moments ago.

Mal closed her eyes again, and tried to clear her head. Things seemed to be going better now that the baby news was out in the open. The men were clearly both more than receptive to the idea of co-parenting the children. She was worried they would be angry and punish her for leaving, but neither man seemed to be leaning towards wrath. John's mood in particular had seemed to soften for the moment, and she couldn't help remembering this as the side of him that drew her into this strange relationship with the brothers.

It occurred to her that Joseph as soft as he was with his family, was clearly taking a hard line with the two of them to make sure this pregnancy went smoothly. He had already lost a daughter for the Project and didn't seem to want the arrival of these children cause any turbulence that might require a similar solution. She resolved to behave for now, knowing there were three lives at stake if she made too much trouble.


	2. Chapter 2

Reaching the compound they went straight to Joseph's cabin. Mal was surprised to see Jacob there waiting with that red rifle of his slung across his shoulders and a judge at his heels. He was covered in mud, and when he came close enough she could smell the sweat and blood that filled the air around him. Her head spun and she hurled to the side of John who reached out to hold her hair back.

"This your emergency, you caught your little pup?" He looked down at the queasy woman, "she looks too weak to be any use."

"She's not weak!" John snarled in her defense.

"Jacob, our dear Mallory is with child, and dealing with the effects of the Bliss. It's miraculous she survived at all, and the doctor tells us she and the twins are strong and healthy. I asked you here because I wanted to share the news of our growing family in person."

Jacob seemed to hover somewhere between confusion and delight as Joseph spoke. He had never thought he would get to be part of a family until the Project, and now he was about to be an uncle. He immediately reevaluated his earlier observations and every weakness he had detected transformed into deep concern.

"You Blissed her?" It was an accusation.

"She wandered into a field of it trying to evade my hunters. She's lucky the men found her before there was any lasting damage." The acid in John's voice dared his brother to question him. She was tempted to start a few fires, but instead opted to play her ace.

"Hey guys, can I just go inside if you're going to fight? The lady said I'm supposed to be resting and to avoid stress. So…"

"We're all going inside." The Father's tone brooked no refusal. "Mallory, I was hoping you could join us for a nice family dinner, but I think we have some things to sort out while you lie down."

Her stomach was still feeling a little shaky, and she quietly allowed him shepherd her into the back of his house. Jacob and John filed into the house behind them settling on the sofa like scolded children. The two glared at one another the argument between them halted but not over.

The bedroom itself was mostly bare holding only a desk and a large wooden bed with a matching night table. Joseph helped her change out of her clothes into one of his clean white shirts. She probably didn't need the help, but his hands on her body after so long alone were comforting. But there was something she needed to know before he left to join the others.

"Hey Joe?"

"Yes my dear?" She hesitated wondering if this was the right time to bring it up.

"Why did you tell John to do all those awful things to me - to break me and bleed every sin from my body until I knew who I belong to?"

Joseph was silent, stunned.

"Did I do something wrong?" Mal started to cry thinking back to that night. He reached out and pulled her to him tightly.

"No, I was wrong. I heard a rumour that John later found to be false. I was angry. I thought we had let a snake into our hearts, and even then I couldn't bear to lose you. So I told John to purge the sin from you to bring you back to us. By the time I realized my mistake, you had already joined up with the Deputy and his band of sinners."

There was nothing to say. Asking about the rumors was more than she was ready for. Mal could only press further into his warmth slipping her arms around him beneath his gray jacket. She let herself be soothed by his breathing until the tears dried up. He tucked her in bed with a gentle kiss.

"Do you need anything?" his voice was soft as if he didn't want to frighten her into running again.

"Some water would be nice." She tried to smile as he nodded and headed out the door. She leaned back into the pillow and listened to the muffled sounds of the faithful going about their routines in the distance.

___

John came in a little while later with her water to find her sleeping. He placed it on the small table beside her, and woke her.

"I brought your water. You should go ahead and drink it. We can't have you getting dehydrated."

"Mmmhm, thanks," she mumbled but made no move to actually get it. He chuckled at her sleepy response sure she would go back to sleep the second he left.

"Mally, you know that water's not miraculously going to drink itself," he teased sitting beside her and slipping an arm beneath her waist making her giggle as he pulled her up and into his embrace.

"I was getting up!"

"Lying is a sin you know." The playful tone hadn't disappeared. He gave her the glass and let his tattooed hands rest on her stomach and exposed thigh as she drank holding her steady in his lap.

"So is what you're about to do with those hands Johnny." Mal leaned back against him and kissed his neck softly. His breathing hitched before he groaned and tightened his grip on her thigh. He had missed this, how wanton and needy she could get.

"Finish that first." He was absolutely fine with ridding her body of all that pent up lust, they could work on her lying later.

___

Joseph and Jacob were setting out dinner when John had been sent to bring Mal her water. The two brothers were discussing how best to protect her and the little ones. Once word got out that the Father and John were expecting, the mother and children would become an obvious target for the Resistance.

"The Deputy seemed fond enough of her to try and help while she's hiding with his Sinners, but I don't trust his wrath to hold now that she's back with the Project."

"He's weak, Joe. Just let me kill him, and you never need to worry about it." Jacob assured him. "I was going to use him to cull Eli, but these kids are more important. I'll find another dog to train for that trick."

"Do not underestimate the Lamb that God has sent to test us." Joseph knew that the Deputy must be swayed to them or allowed to destroy himself. He was a weapon of the Lord after all. Liam had been chosen just as clearly as the Voice had chosen him.

"I don't. That's why I want him gone. Now." He slammed his fist onto the table. That pup had caused enough chaos for the Project and all he had to do was reel him in with a well placed song. He didn't understand why his brother kept protecting this one man above all others.

Joseph said nothing as he went to check on the food in the kitchen. As he stirred the sauce thickening on the stove he thought he heard a sound coming from the back of the house. He took a few steps towards the door to his bedroom before laughing at himself for not remembering exactly what happens when John and their lovely Mal were left unattended. He went back to deal with his pasta dish glad that the two of them were getting along again.

"Jacob, can you help me with this roast? I believe our brother may be a little tardy to our family dinner."

"Well you sent him in there."

"Yes, I was hoping John would get a moment to work things out with her. I just want expecting things to go so well." He shrugged and shared a knowing look with his elder brother.

"Yeah well, he's always been a charmer, and that little girl of yours is all he's been thinking about since she took off." He gestured towards the back with the carving knife he was using.

"If you came down out of the mountains to spend more time with us you would know, that little girl is more likely to have made the first move than John. Mallory is a very passionate woman."

Both of the brothers worked together to get the meal finished and set out. By the time John returned looking decidedly pleased, dinner was beginning without him.

"Have we already said grace?" he asked innocently.

"Yes, John." The pastor smiled, "I would ask if you'd washed your hands, but judging by your wet hair, I would hazard a guess you're clean enough to join us."

Jacob stopped eating to laugh at Joseph's remark. He tended to try and stay out of their confusing love life, but he genuinely enjoyed the way his little brothers messed with each other when Mallory was around.

"Well Mal needed a little help in the shower, and we can't have her falling, now can we?" John smoothly countered sliding into his seat.

"Will she be coming out for dinner? From where I was standing in the kitchen, it sounded like her symptoms might have improved."

"I don't think so. The poor dear is just exhausted from such a long day." He didn't even try to hide the smugness in his voice. "I was thinking about bringing her something light to eat later on."

___

When Mal woke early the next morning she was pleasantly warm from being held between her sleeping lovers. John was always the first to rise, ever worried about his penultimate sin sloth overtaking him, and today was no exception. He was quietly dressing in the dark to head out and begin his daily work.

"What time is it?" She asked softly to avoid disturbing Joseph who was currently asleep against her back with an arm and a leg loosely draped across her body.

"I don't know five or six? The sun's not up yet, but the birds are." He finished adjusting his belt and started putting on his boots.

"Well it would be a shame for you to sleep longer than the birds. Come back to bed."

"And give in to sloth, my little temptress?" He smirked and gave her a slow deep kiss. "I'll come see you later alright?"

"Okay. Meanie," she pouted.

"Greedy," he sweetly accused.

"MmMmm. I'm not greedy, I just want you to stay here a little longer." Her hand ran over the tattoos on his forearm, but he stopped her progress with a firm grip.

"I know your sins, Mal. You don't have to hide them from me. I never want you to hide from me ever again." John's tone lost its sweetness as he became more intense.

"John, I love you, and I promise I'm not going anywhere," she reassured him. "And if you're going you should probably go before I haul you back into bed and prove it to you."

"Lust, sloth, greed, really you are on a mission to corrupt me this morning aren't you?"

"I just missed you that's all, nothing wrong with missing the men I love is there? There are plenty of verses about loving your husband as yourself. I think there's even one that mentions that our bodies don't belong to us but to each other." She mentioned suggestively.

"We're not married just yet."

"Might as well be, we all just happened to say 'yes' instead of 'I do.'" John had no counter to that lovely bit of sentiment, and he chuckled knowing he'd been beaten. He realized that if he didn't leave now she wouldn't have to pull him back into bed beside her.

"Touché" he said grabbing his coat and heading for the bedroom door.

"Though if you both want to make it legal with a ceremony, I would appreciate it if you two set the date sometime after the kids are born. Mama is supposed to be avoiding stress." She said as a parting comment knowing John always had to have the last word.

It worked and he stopped while putting on his last layer to reply, "Oh we plan to make things official. You'll have to talk with Joseph about setting dates. He wants the twins born within the sanctity of our holy family." He winked at the end of his statement for added drama as he left her to start his day.

Mal laughed at his flirtation and snuggled closer to Joseph.

"We can put it off if you're worried about the health of the children," Joseph admitted quietly without opening his eyes.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Long enough to hear your play fighting." He groaned and tightened his hold around her body pulling her flush against his. "You know once John is up you're not getting him back in bed." He lightly scolded into her lips.

"Yeah but how would he know that I missed him, if I didn't try?" Mal drew him into a kiss while her hands wandered southward. "I missed you too, you know."

He smiled, "Show me."

Mal was more than happy to do just that.

___

John meanwhile was slightly frustrated. Taking his older brother's advise to fix the damage he'd caused to Mal's new home meant he had to find the damn thing first.

He probably should have just asked her, but he'd been so intent on just getting out the door and beyond the reach of her temptations that it hadn't happened. There was no way he could go back without getting dragged into what he heard her and the Father starting as he'd finished his quick breakfast.

So here he was with a team of his hunters backtracking his activities from the week before looking for the tell tale signs of a hidden hatch. He had just about given up driving around when his man Truck radioed to say they'd found it.

The bunker had been better camouflaged than any of them had expected under an innocuous pile of scrap wood behind a shed. The only reason the boys had found it was the line of huge bullet holes that had practically led to the entrance. John had no doubt that the Affirmation had blazed that trail and even less doubt they were in the wrong place when he saw the state of the bunker door.

He knew she said he'd shot a hole in her front door, but that was an understatement. The thick steel was punctured and twisted and his stomach dropped remembering the armor piercing rounds he had used especially to hunt that wrathful thorn in his side. He understood how she would abandon her well stocked nest so easily; there was no way that door would be able to keep anything or anyone out. Now he just had to find a way to fix it.

___

It was late when Joseph finally left for his duties as the Father. Mal got up even later and ate breakfast around noon marvelling at how quickly things had turned around. It was almost as if the past few months had never happened, only now she was staying in the compound instead of John's ranch.

Though even if she had stayed she might have still ended up here. Liam and his pyromaniac friends Hurk and Sharky had taken the ranch from the youngest Seed's men, and it was now a Resistance outpost. Mallory wondered if they were looking for her and decided to find a radio and talk to John about it. She knew talking to her friends directly so soon might look less than kosher.

Joseph had forbidden her to leave the cabin, but that didn't stop her from opening the windows and getting a good look at the world outside. The air was thick with chatter as people went streaming towards the chapel. He was no doubt there greeting the flock with a sermon.

She was still tired from the day before, and wanted to follow Gina's suggestion of plenty of rest. She'd already been pushing it sleeping with Joseph so soon after being with John, but they had all needed it after the long separation. Mal sighed thinking about the brothers and went into the back room to settle into bed.

Before she did she gave Joseph's desk a good ransacking for his spare radio. She didn't find it, instead tucked away in the bottom drawer, she found the embroidery she had been working on at the ranch. It was a traditional design of flowers with the words "home is where the heart is" in simple cross stitched letters. Only about half of the pattern of blue ink was actually filled in.

Something about seeing the colorful stitch work in his desk made her want to cry. Joe must have brought it here after she'd gone. She knew she had left it at John's probably on top of her sewing basket or maybe by the couch where she could sit in front of the fireplace to work on it.

When she finally went to lay back down she left her project on the desk. She would have to find out what had happened to her embroidery stash and finish it even if she had to rope the Deputy into helping her get it back from the ranch. This one was definitely getting framed and hung up on their bedroom wall.


	3. Chapter 3

Jacob was unwilling to let the issue of the Deputy remain unsolved. With that in mind he had returned to the compound with a truckload of his Chosen to beef up security. He spent the morning rechecking the perimeter, reshuffling the guards, and tweaking the safety protocols until he was convinced they were ready for that wily policeman.

Finally satisfied he set out to find the Father and have another discussion about Liam disguised as a security update. The first place he checked was the cabin Joe lived in. When he knocked on the door and let himself in he could tell his brother wasn't home. He called out just in case and roused Mal from her nap.

She came padding into the living room in her bare feet and greeted him with a yawn.

"You still in bed at this hour?"

"I've been up and down, but the doctor put me on bed rest for the next week. Then she's going to test again and make sure all the Bliss is out of my system."

"Mmmhm. Head on back then, pup. I'm just looking for Joe."

"Oh Jake, before you go there's something I wanted to ask." He stood silently and waited for her to continue. "I was supposed to meet the Deputy when the Bliss incident happened, and I wondered if somebody could tell him that I'm okay? I think it might cut down on the heroics." Mal suddenly wished that she had just waited to talk to John as Jacob frowned and began to scold her.

"You think that boy cares? You're back with the Father and John. That makes you his enemy," He softened his tone, "maybe even one of his main targets."

His warning, while well intentioned didn't sit right with Mallory. "He already knew I wanted to come back. It's not like he's going to be surprised that I'm staying." The soldier wasn't used to tolerating the level of sass she was giving off.

"You're too trusting. He only helped you to hurt this family, to hurt the Project," Jacob snapped.

"I'm not going to fight you on this." She put her hands up in mock surrender remembering Dr. Todd's orders. "I just thought it would help."

"Good." Arguing with this stubborn woman was almost as aggravating as arguing with John. "There's only one thing you need to be worrying about, regaining your strength. If the doctor ordered rest, get to it."

"It's light bed rest. I can get up and down and do stuff, you know." She laughed, "It doesn't mean I'm suddenly an invalid."

"Mal!" His tone brooked no refusal.

"Fine, I'm going!" She said heading once again to the bedroom betting to herself that she'd be sick of the place before the week was out if Jacob had his way. Fortunately Joseph wasn't as much of the smothering type as the eldest Seed.

When he left Jacob headed off to the chapel to see if he could find his brother there. Mallory's little suggestion had given him an idea.

___

It had taken awhile for John's men to remove the old door, but he wasn't waiting for them to fit the new one before exploring the bunker. He hadn't gone too far into the door before he found the first light switch. He wished he hadn't flipped it looking at the damage the ricochets spread down the sloping concrete passage. There was no telling how close he had come to killing the mother of his children, and the thought sent chills down his spine.

He would have to replace a few of the light fixtures and patch a few spots on the thick blast door at the end of the hallway. Fortunately the two foot thick inner door had stopped anything from penetrating the living area beyond, and John sent up a prayer of gratitude that Mallory had kept it closed.

The hallway beyond opened into a spacious living area, and John had to admit that her Blissed description of the place as magical wasn't far off. It wasn't perhaps the sleek luxury that he was used to at the ranch, but the rustic wooden furniture paired with a woman's touch made the place warm and inviting. He could honestly picture himself spending the Collapse here in this cozy place free from whatever dangers lurked above.

Mal had filled the space with pillows and throws. He wondered if she had somehow reupholstered the couches as they looked too new to be scavenged. The lighting and plants made him think she'd spent a lot more time on Instagram than the Father would approve of, but at least the lanterns would serve an actual purpose in an emergency. He couldn't be sure but he did recognize several garden herbs, so her planting choices may not have been purely decorational.

He moved on from room to room appraising her handiwork until he reached the nursery. He was surprised to find no crib in the mostly decorated room. There was a rocking chair and a changing table but what caught his eye was the little hand carved wooden names. One read _Helen_ while the other spelled out _Hector_. John laughed thinking Mal couldn't have known she'd get to use both. Though it did sting a little how far ahead she had planned without him and Joseph.

He put them aside and checked the room across the hall, a bedroom it turned out. It cleared up the mystery of the missing crib. It was here in her room where she could be closer to their child. He recognized several of Mal's personal effects from her room at the ranch. That insufferable Deputy and his band of theives had clearly pillaged his house and brought her quite literally the comforts of home.

He'd just have to do one better than her good pal Liam, and spend a little cash to get his young family what luxuries they deserved. He emerged from the bunker to give orders to his men, and make a few calls before heading to the bunker to take another look at the shipment he had lifted off the Deputy's hands. John would make sure several items made their way to their original destination after all.

___

Some ways away in Falls End, Deputy Liam Daniels was having a meeting with a few of his guns for hire. Armstrong and Hurk joined him at the bar while Peaches annoyed a very tired Boomer on the floor behind them.

"She was supposed to meet me yesterday to scout out that new bunker I found for her. She never showed." The rugged blond ran his fingers through his hair distractedly.

"Well it's not like Mal to not at least call, but we can't drop everything for one woman." Grace hated losing people, but when someone went radio silent in Hope County, their chances of being found alive were slim to none. "We've been getting calls for help all morning. I say we answer those and question any Peggies we kill along the way."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't they need to be alive before we question them?" Hurk laughed punching the sniper good humoredly in the shoulder. "Unless you got some badass voodoo powers you ain't telling us about!"

Liam just shook his head at the idea of Grace running around raising the dead.

"Well we can ask them, and then kill 'em if it would make you more comfortable." She shot back at him knowing full well that the voodoo theory would haunt him if she didn't contradict it.

"I'd appreciate that." Dep interjected, "We've only just shut down Faith and her Angel production. Please don't add zombies into the mix; I don't care what kind of info they can provide!"

Sharky picked this point to burst into the Spread Eagle in the dramatic way he always did startling Peaches who had been intent on grabbing Boomer's tail. The big cat leapt to her feet with a ridge of fur fluffed up like a full body mohawk.

Liam dug out a few treats from his pack to distract her before she launched herself at the terrified, heavily armed redneck.

"Woah, girl, you know Sharky," he soothed the cougar. He handed Boshaw the sack of meat. "Here. Apologize to my cat before she eats you."

"Not to miss an opportunity to tell a good pussy joke, Popo," he slipped Peaches a few hunks of meat "but I came all the way out here to tell ya there's some news about our pregnant lady on the boob tube. Now I don't know how much of it's true comin from ol' greasy buns himself, but they sure want your ass on a plate about it."

"Mary May, you got a TV we can use?" Armstrong asked leaning across the bar to get her attention.

"Sure, there's one upstairs," she gestured towards the far end of the dark pub. "You'll have to pull it out of the closet by the bathroom. I got fed up when all it would pick up was that cult bullshit."

The four friends headed up to the second floor leaving the animals below. Hurk took over setting the old set up, and they gathered round when he switched it on and began flipping through the channels.

The Father filled the screen in his usual pants only attire. The camera panned out to show he was standing in front of a podium holding an automatic rifle with a large American flag draped across the wall. There were candles burning everywhere.

"So he hates technology so much he preaches by candlelight, but professional video equipment is okay?" Hurk joked earning a laugh from his companions.

"My children," Joseph began, "let me tell you a story -- a story about a young bride taken in the night by thieves and liars who preyed upon her hopes, her fears. Sinners who took her from her loving family, told her horrible falsehoods that she would be harmed by those who love her, and promised her safety, only to abandon her when she needed them most."

"That is not even vaguely what happened!" Dep yelled at the screen. He turned to Sharky, "Are you sure they're talking about her?"

"But my dear Mallory has been returned to our family. God has delivered her home where she belongs." The Father said dramatically reenforcing that, yes, it was her.

"Dammit, I knew I should have-" the rage in the voice on the television cut him off mid sentence.

"Liam, yesterday my wife, my unborn children nearly died because of you. For this you WILL atone. You will be cleansed. We're coming for you."

The image became dark for a few seconds before the message repeated again. Grace slammed it off and looked at the stunned Deputy.

"She nearly died?" Liam was horrified. "If he's right, it's my fault. I never should have let her leave the bunker alone."

"Dude, let her? I have never seen anybody 'let' Mal do anything. She's a strong, independent woman, bro." Hurk said slapping his shoulder.

"I still should have gone with her." Liam sighed.

"Besides most of that video was a lie!" Sharky added defensively. "You can't go blaming yourself for something just because Discount Jesus said it's on you."

"Shark's right, it was probably one of his hippies that nearly smoked her. "Grace agreed. "He's just shifting the blame from himself."

"Either way I gotta find out if she's ok." He said reaching for the walkie on his belt. "Joseph, this is the Deputy. I got your message, over."

"Well pup, the Father can't come to the phone right now. Why don't you leave a message?" The voice of Jacob Seed growled mockingly over the radio.

"I just need to know Mal's alright. I don't care which of you scumbags tells me." the Rookie snapped right back.

"I'll let you see her when you make it home, pup." The opening bars of the Platters hit came flowing through the handset. Dep's vision began to blur as he hit his knees to the floor and everything went red.

___

Joseph was on his way back to see Mallory when the Dep radioed. He heard his brother answer and decided to let him take the call. The prophet was still too angry from hearing that the man had a negligent hand in luring Mal from the safety of her bunker into the Bliss.

When he heard _Only You_ come on, he realized his brother had plans of his own to catch the Sinner. Normally this would be encouraged, but his recent insistence on killing the man gave Joseph a bad feeling. He picked up his radio to talk to Jacob.

"Brother?"

"Yes Father?" It was often hard to read the emotions coming from him, but now he sounded a bit cross.

"Bring the Deputy to me when you get him." Joseph was keeping his own feelings in check, but his steady voice made it clear this wasn't a discussion.

"Yes Sir." Jacob practically sulked.

Joseph sighed wondering what his Herald was up to, but continued on his way home. He knew his older brother meant well, and he couldn't really bring himself to be angry about Jacob trying to protect their family. That was his calling after all.

___

It hadn't even been a full day and Mallory already felt like she couldn't sleep another minute. She had tried her best to stay in bed in case Jacob was still hanging around the island. She wished she could watch TV or play on her cellphone, but those were things that the Father saw as signs of greed. Not to mention the cult had cut all the signals from the outside world for the whole county.

She had a suspicion that John might be able to get through, but asking him to break cult rules usually earned her a lecture. It was best to wait until he decided to break them himself.

It was a relief when Joseph came in the door.

"Did I wake you?"

"No. Your brother came by earlier and scolded me for being out of bed. I've been trying to stay put, but I don't think I'm getting much more sleep today."

"I'm glad you're well enough to feel restless. I've been so worried."

"I'm not the only one who's restless. Put your hand here."

"He's really kicking isn't he?" Joseph could spend all day marvelling at every sign of life from his twins.

"They both are. See?" She scooted his hand to the other side giggling, "I'm pretty sure we're expecting ninjas."

"That would thrill their uncle, wouldn't it?" He shook his head imagining his brother Jacob with a couple of spirited children. Of course he would teach them everything he knows.

"Oh I didn't think about that," Mallory groaned, "I'm going to have to stop him from giving them weapons for every birthday, aren't I?"

"I'm sure Jacob will wait until they're old enough," Joe reassured her, "but they will be growing up after the Collapse. They will need to train to hunt and live off the land. Nature will not be any less dangerous." He started to slip into his preaching voice gesturing as though he could see the future in front of him.

"Well if Eden has gates, I'm assuming that means it also has walls to keep out things like bears and the wild turkeys. "

"I don't think the turkeys are that dangerous."

"They are! Joe, I once saw The Deputy get taken down by a pair of them. If he hadn't had his cougar with him… oh my goodness! You should have seen Li's arms, they were shredded!"

Joseph raised his eyebrows in surprise, completely befuddled by her tale. He paused in shock for a moment letting the mental image of the unsinkable bringer of hell getting beaten by a pair of overweight poultry settle permanently into his memory.

"I think did see wounds on his arms when he was with Jacob." he recalled. "I assumed the Chosen were a little rough when capturing him, but it's hard to believe a bird could do that much damage to our most challenging convert."

"Well I couldn't believe he just wrapped his arms up and shook it off." The Father was almost relieved. This sounded more like the harbinger of doom he knew. "He left me at the bunker and later that day it came out over the radio that he took another outpost from the Project." Again her words left him confused.

"So he was protecting you when this happened?"

"Yeah, Dep isn't the kind of person to leave anyone behind. He's saved my life more times than I can even count."

To Joe this just meant that Liam and his stubborn band of Sinnrs had endangered her, and he tried to point out, "Yet he left you alone to walk through the chaos of the Reaping and into the Bliss."

"That is entirely on me." She wanted to take responsibility for that mistake. "It wasn't far. So when Dep asked if I could make it, I thought I could." She admitted sadly. The Father wasn't so ready to leave her with the blame.

"It was still his responsibility to keep you safe after bringing you into his wretched Resistance."

"I was never part of any Resistance Joseph!" she scoffed. "I left on my own. You know that and you know why. My friends have been helping me out with supplies here and there, but for the most part I've been doing everything on my own. I was taking care of my kid, building a home where they would be safe. It had nothing to do with Liam, or the Project, or you for that matter."

Mal took his hand gently and placed it back on her stomach. "This right here, is the only side I will ever be on." He felt the children stirring, and he knew what she meant. After the loss of his first child, he would do anything to protect these two. For the moment he had no words. So he pressed his forehead to hers and breathed in her presence.

The radio at his hip interrupted, "Joseph we have a situation."

___

Grace reacted more quickly to the change washing over her friend than the others. She grabbed Liam by the arms and shouted for one of the cousins to open the balcony door. Hurk instead went for the gun at his waist disarming him as Sharky ran past the three of them to get the door open.

Even outnumbered the Dep fought back like ten very pissed off men. He threw his head back into Armstrong's, freeing one of his fists to take a swing at Hurk. Sharky came back to help drag him outside, but got kicked squarely in the head and knocked out.

While Liam was off balance Hurk managed to secure his arm, and he and Grace hauled him snarling and yelling incoherently to the balcony intending to imprison him out there.

"Hurk, can you reach my gun."

"I ain't gonna help you kill him!"

"We're not killing him, but I need something to knock him out with. I don't want him jumping off the damn balcony!" She replied aggressively.

"How about you give me his other arm? I'm bigger than he is. I can just sit on him until you find something to tie him up with."

The transfer went about as smoothly as you expect. The Dep snarling like a wild animal kicked out at Grace the second she let go and she went flying forward as her feet came out from underneath her hitting the railing hard enough to make her scalp bleed.

He then tried to get Hurk off his back. First crushing him into the wall before sending him backwards through the the window beside the wooden door. Hurk lay stunned and bloody not rising for a moment.

In that moment Liam leapt over the prone body of Armstrong and the edge of the balcony like a rabid gazelle ignoring the story high fall below.

Grace sat up enough to see him hit hard in one of Mary May's absurdly large planters, and recovered unnaturally fast. He started to move down the street, making headway for wherever Jacob had sent him. Halfway out of town, he stopped to accost a pedestrian. The rage brought on by the melody ringing in his head overriding any other order he had been given.

Watching him beat the man half to death with his bare hands, Grace knew she had no choice but to pull out her rifle and stop him before he killed anyone.

Two shots rang out and the Junior Deputy dropped like a stone.


	4. Chapter 4

"Joseph we have a situation." The soldier said through the radio. Joe looked at Mal sitting beside him on the bed, and sighed at the predictability of the disturbance. Every time someone went after the Deputy he would inevitably get the call that he had left chaos and destruction behind him as he escaped.

"I assume by situation, you mean you've lost the Deputy again?" he asked Jacob.

"Yes and no. I know exactly where he is. He never made it out of Falls End, one of his friends shot him. Twice." Mallory's blood ran cold, and she snatched the handset from Joseph.

"Why would they do that? Is he still alive?!" she was more than a little frantic. Joseph gently pulled her away from the edge of the bed keeping his arms around her for support. He made no move to retrieve the radio.

"I was talking to the Father, pup." Jacob said .

"You still are."Mal quipped, "Answer my question! Is Dep alive?" She enunciated each word of her query making it clear she wasn't going away.

"For the moment, yes. Can I talk to Joe now?"

She was annoyed but not shocked by Jacob's terse reply. There were none of the details she needed to understand what was happening. Mal hesitated for a moment, but passed the radio.

"I'm right here. What do you need, Jacob?" Joseph's voice was calm and even.

"They look like they're getting ready to move him out, probably to a doctor of some sort."

Mallory was confused about why they would shoot him and then take him to get patched up, but she stayed quiet and let Jacob talk hoping for more details.

"Do you want me to cull him or bring him to one of John's doctors once I intercept them?" he asked.

Joseph looked serious for a minute before making his decision, "Let's see how well the Resistance can take care of their own. You've done enough for now." He looked directly at a clearly troubled Mal, reassuring her with his words.

"This is the will of the Father?" Jacob asked his tone betraying his desire for another answer.

"It is. Thank you, Jacob." There was no response from the eldest Seed. So Joseph placed the radio back on his belt and turned his attention to the distressed woman. "Would it make you feel better if we took a moment to pray for our friend the Deputy?"

"Yes,"she was trying not to cry, "let's do that."

___

When the red haze lifted Dep was unable to move his left shoulder, or sit up for that matter. It took some time for his eyes to adjust to the gloom.

"Hello?" Speaking sent a stab of pain through his chest and side. He resolved not to do that again soon.

"Sorry about the jail cell, Rook. I'd say it's for your own protection, but as bad as you're banged up, it's more for everyone else's peace of mind." The old Sheriff laughed. His smile didn't reach his eyes."You just get some rest now kiddo."

Whitehorse turned up the drip on on Liam's iv and the pain dulled before disappearing as he slipped into a dreamless sleep.

___

The whole county was abuzz with the news that the sharpshooter had taken down the hero when he turned violently on a civilian after being triggered by Jacob's training. John of course heard the rumors and then the confirmed reports of the Deputy's fall from grace. He would have been more thrilled if it wasn't for the fact that he learned his brother had come into his territory to capture the man without so much as a heads up. So he decided to take a drive a drive down to the compound to see what was going on.

When John arrived, he headed to the church where he was informed the Father had headed home to check on his wife. John bristled jealously at the title, but restrained himself from correcting him. If Joseph was promoting himself to her husband, well then so was John. He smiled at the man.

"Well it's good to hear The Father is keeping an eye on our wife. I would hate to know the woman I love is being neglected." He headed off to the cabin feeling much more cheerful ignoring the look of fear and confusion he got from the man.

___

The Deputy awoke again in the little cell. The feeling of grogginess and heaviness impossible to shake. He tried to lift his head and look around, but a firm hand pushed on his uninjured shoulder to stop him.

"Hey dude, doc says you gotta keep still." His foggy mind had trouble identifying Sharky. The left side of the pyro's face was all swollen, and he was squinting through a black eye.

"What happened to your face?" The sentence was difficult, and God, everything hurt now. He vaguely remembered making his plan to stop talking from earlier.

"You heard that swing music and went all cult Terminator on us. This," he gestured to his face, "is all you, Popo. You should see Hurk and Grace! Man you kicked our asses! Grace had to shoot ya to get you to stop beating the shit out of some guy on the street."

The whole thing sounded like a nightmare, but Liam was grateful no one had died. Usually when he came back to reality after hearing Jacob's music box he found himself surrounded by bodies.

"They're okay?" He asked using as few words as possible. He didn't see the others.

"Yeah, Hurk's taking it harder than Grace. You sent him through a window backwards. He got glass shards all up his back, and more than a couple in his ass! Heh! so he's up at the trailer park blowing shit up and runnin me out of booze."

"Tell him sorry for me." Liam said wincing both from his own pain and for his friend's.

"Ah, he knows. He's just pissed he can't sit down comfortably. I'm more worried about you, bro. These Cougar folks are planning on keeping you locked up indefinitely. The Sheriff said he didn't want to make the same mistake they made with somebody named Burke."

"The Marshal, Faith and her Bliss made him kill Virgil and let the cult in before shooting himself when I brought him here." God that sentence was a beast to get out. Liam closed his eyes from the exhaustion.

"Damn!" Sharky knew that meant his friend was screwed.

Dep couldn't help his mind from traveling back to that day he saw Burke lose control. The parallels were pretty depressing, but maybe Whitehorse was right to be paranoid. How many people had he killed for Jacob already? For that matter how many had he killed for the Cougars and the Resistance?

"Alright man, you look like shit. I'mma let you rest and whatnot, and when you get better maybe we'll plan a kick-ass jailbreak."

___

Joseph was in the kitchen when John came in the the front door. Mallory lit up seeing him home this early, and left her spot on the couch to hug him as enthusiastically as her swollen middle would allow.

"Did you hear what Jacob did?"

"Of course, that's why I'm here, darling." He lightly kissed her cheek and looked around. "I need to talk to the Father about Jacob conducting raids in my territory."

"He's in the kitchen making me some soup. I tried to help, but apparently I've been doing things on my own for too long."

"Mally, I've seen your bunker. You've definitely been doing too much. He's right. It's time you let us take care of you."

"What'd you think?" She said confidently with a smirk.

"I think I'm going to help Joe with your soup." He smirked right back and headed into the other room.

"No, John I've been banned from the kitchen! I need to know!" She followed him right up to the kitchen door where Joseph embraced him warmly.

"John, you're home. I'm sorry about Jacob. You know how zealous he is protecting us all."

"He could at least tell me before nearly killing the Deputy in my region." John sulked. "Mal said you were making soup. How can I help?"

"You can chop these carrots. I've already washed and shaved them."

"You know she won't eat these right?" He laughed shooting a glance to Mal as he picked out a knife from the block and began slicing.

"I'm aware, but I've got to sneak some vegetables in her diet somehow. I doubt she's eaten anything green since she left your ranch five months ago."

Hey! John, tell him I have a garden full of edible plants down in my bunker. I've even got chickens down there, Joe." The Father looked up from the pot he was stirring surprised that Mal had been taking the time to farm whilst hiding from the Project.

"She does," he affirmed making eye contact with his brother. "I avoided the poultry room." He sounded thoroughly unimpressed.

"So you didn't feed them?" She asked hurt and disappointed. Mal had actually started to worry about her feathery pals earlier, but John usually wasn't one to miss small details like that.

"Why would I feed your chickens Mal? I've got better things to do than farm chores. I was fixing your front door remember?" His smile let her know he was teasing. Joseph came behind him to take the carrots he had finished dicing small enough to make them inconvenient to pick out.

"So you got someone else to do it?" She asked hopefully.

"You know I did, and I'm going to insist that for the rest of your pregnancy, you do the same thing." He playfully wagged the knife in her direction only for Joe to smack the back of his head and put a dish of cooked meat in front of him.

"Chop this, and don't point knives at our wife." He said eliciting a huff from John.

"Well thanks for having someone take care of my birds, Johnny. I appreciate it." She consoled him from her spot in the doorway, "And thanks for defending my honor Joe." She sent him a little wink to let him know she appreciated him too.

___

They set the table with fresh bread, a salad, and the soup they had made when everything was ready. Joseph settled into his customary place at the head of the table with Mallory to his left and John to his right.

They began every meal with prayer, and the familiarity of the scene gave her that deja Vu feeling that seemed to erase the months they had all spent apart. She wondered how they could just snap back so easily into their old life together as John ladled soup into her bowl while Joseph piled salad on a plate. Mal went for the bread and butter laughing at the two of them fussing over her eating habits.

"I just hope both of you are this persistent when the kids start eating. If they're anything like I was as a kid, trying to get them to eat their veggies is going to take the whole village."

"How bad could you have been?" Joseph chuckled.

"I was a little terror. When I was like five or six my mom tried the 'if you don't like my cooking go fix your own dinner' line and like the smartass kid I was, I marched into the kitchen and made something myself. It just sort of snowballed from there. By the time I was in middle school I was pretty much self reliant for meals. If I didn't like it, it didn't make it on my plate."

"Your mom just let you take over like that?" John thinking back to his own overly controlling parents, and how they would have half killed him for acting like he knew best for himself.

"Well she was divorced by the time I was eleven and being a single mom with two kids is hard work. Having kids who can take care of themselves is actually helpful. I mean she did buy the groceries so it's not like she was letting me live off candy or something."

"So did your brother cook for himself or was it just you?" Joseph asked curiously.

"No he was about the same. We were both kind of picky."Mal replied eating her soup and ignoring the salad that the brothers had placed in front of her. "I think he just had to suffer a little longer than I did. Dad never let him get away with anything, but when I started Dad couldn't exactly tell him no."

"Mallory can you at least nibble at something in that salad to make me feel better?" The younger brother asked already knowing he was fighting an uphill battle.

"I don't know, there aren't even croutons so I can cheat. Do we have any of that blue cheese stuff to put on it?" She teased pulling out a slice of cucumber, munching on one of the only veggies she could stand from the mixture.

"Covering it in cheese defeats the purpose of a salad." John said shaking his head at her.

"Hey you want some vegetables in this body, you have to disguise them. This salad plate is currently just a graveyard for your overly small carrots." She turned the plate so he could see several of his passive aggressive carrot cubes piled on the edge. Joseph laughed as his brother got up from the table trying to hide a smirk while heading for the kitchen.

"Mallory, we've missed this so much. I don't care if our children are as difficult as you think. As long as our family can stand together with you in Eden, we'll make it work." Joe said beaming at the wife and mother that God had provided his family with. There were still a few spaces at their table, but with John and Mallory here with him and their children on the way, the house finally lost the feeling of emptiness that had settled in since the loss of his sister and Mal's disappearance.

John returned from the kitchen with the bottle of dressing to see them smiling and laughing together. His heart almost hurt it was so full of light and warmth, and then Mal looked up at him with that grin seeing him return. He could have died right there from happiness. Instead he walked up to the table with his offering and settled in for the first family meal he'd allowed himself to enjoy in months.


End file.
